Tears Of Steel
by Shrapnel893
Summary: Shadows of the past; tears in the present. That is the Twelfth Nova Clash. Inner fears, doubts, regrets, pains, and longings surface as the battlefield becomes electrically charged with emotions and feelings that only the temperament of steel can mend. This is the Twelfth Nova Clash. [Hiatus]
1. Freezing Terms and Characters

**Terminology:**

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**General:**

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**Pandora:** Girls who have been genetically modified to be able to utilize Stigmata, which endow them with incredible speed and strength. They are capable of materializing their own unique weapons called Volt Weapons, made with a special material called Volt Texture which is activated through their Stigmata.

They also have the ability to regenerate lost limbs, though this shortens their lifespan due to rapid cell growth.

**Limiter:** The male partner of a Pandora, whose primary role is to neutralize the freezing field emitted by a Nova so that their Pandora may attack them. Also have the secondary ability to generate their own Freezing field which can be used to restrain other targets, including low-level Novas. In order to use these abilities, Limiters must be implanted with one of their Pandora's stigmata, allowing them to synchronize their senses.  
In order to ensure better compatibility and synchronization between Limiters and Pandoras, a Limiter is always younger in age.

**Stigmata:** A special tissue created by reverse-engineering from Nova cell cultures, which gives superhuman powers to Pandoras and Limiters. Usually, these tissues are implanted into the user's back, but some individuals possess a high quantity of Stigmata tissue inside their bodies, giving them special abilities beyond the norm. This is known as a Stigmata Body.

Due to the fact that Stigmata came from the Nova, there is a chance it can take over its user and turn them into a Nova as well.

**Volt Textures:** Main weapon developed for the Pandora to fight the Nova and utilize for personal usage. Materialized by concentrating energy through Stigmata to recombine matter into a solid structure, and are composed of elemental combinations between solid, liquid and gas elements. With Volt Texture, Pandoras can form weapons for battle and even clothing.

**Volt Weapons:** Instruments of war wielded by Pandora to combat Nova, and occasionally their own kin. The Volt weapons appear as a wide variety of melee weapons to ranged weapons, varying from swords to spears to GPS tracked homing lasers. These weapons trump conventional weapons in sheer damage output, effectively being the best choice to confront Novas.

Each Pandora is shown to have her own unique Volt Weapon, the Pandoras' style of combat often depends on her type of weapon. Volt Weapons can be disabled or broken by other Volt Weapons, and are materialized (again) at will by the user.

**Plasma Weapons:** Nova-type equipment made from Plasma Textures. They are the primary weapons of Valkyries. They are a more advanced form of Volt Weapon, using plasma instead of the solid/liquid/gas phases of Volt Weapons. The output of a Plasma Weapon is equivalent to that of a Type-S Nova.

**Baptism: **A ceremony in which a Pandora officially acknowledges a Limiter as her partner, giving him her Stigmata to be implanted and creating the bond known as an Ereinbar Set. This is usually done in the form of a First Room Invitation, where a Pandora invites her chosen Limiter to her room to perform it.

**Ereinbar Set:** When a Pandora and Limiter synchronize their brain waves to allow the Limiter to use his Freezing abilities and ultimately, increase their fighting strength. This can only be achieved if the pair performs a baptism.

**NOVA:** Inter-dimensional aliens that are invading Earth. Usually they have attacked Earth in intervals of around eight years, but the most recent attacks have been more frequent. NOVAs appear as standard, resolver, and supreme types. They have the ability to "freeze" anything within its radius of roughly a hundred meters and only by attacking the core (which must be exposed first) can they be defeated. Novas are armed with extensible spear-like tendrils, energy shockwaves from their face, and their core can fire an extremely powerful energy beam.

**Evolution Pandora: **Also known as "E-Pandoras", the Evolution Pandoras are candidates from the E-Pandora Project, an experimental project formulated to expand the Pandora program to people with limited Stigmata compatibility. The E-Pandoras are quite different from regular Pandoras in terms of background, being orphans, homeless girls, or child-slaves, all placed into the program as expendable subjects.

After an embarrassing exhibition match involving the regular and E-Pandoras showcased the vast difference in power, the controlling administrators authorized drugging the E-Pandoras to get immediate results. The drugs raise their capabilities to normal Pandora levels, at the cost of rapidly losing control of their Stigmata, making them at best suicide soldiers.

**Valkyries:** The Valkyries are second-generation Pandoras, and the results from the Valkyrie Project, a successor to the E-Pandora Project who utilize artificial Stigma called Injection Stigmata, which gives them the abilities of the original Pandoras but without the dangerous side effects found on the original and E-Pandoras, such as corrosion.

**Injection Stigmata:** An artificial version of the Stigmata that allows people with low compatibility rates to become Pandora. Injection Stigma can also be safely disposed of without the user suffering any side effects, thus making it easier to safely insert more of them when they run out. This, in turn, also acts as a fail-safe against corrosion, a common problem among the original Pandora that turns them into Nova Forms.

**Hero Stigmata:** Stigmata retrieved from fallen Pandoras.

**Tears of Kunlun:** Another name for the Stigmas.

**Maria-Type Stigmata:** Stigmata that have been naturally produced (in other words, born with them).

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**Skills and Abilities:**

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**Pandora Mode: **A powered-up form used by higher-ranking Pandoras. In the manga, Pandora Mode takes form of a powered armored suit while in the anime, the Pandora have physical changes (silvery-white hair, yellow eyes, and blue rings around their wrists and ankles). Despite the visual differences, in both versions Pandoras in Pandora Mode gain increased strength and power as well as having the ability to move in the opponents' Freezing grid without aid from a Limiter. The Pandora's Volt Weapon also gains an upgrade while in this state, turning it into a Nova Weapon that is powerful enough to defeat low-level Novas. Also, it has been stated that Pandoras are forbidden to use Pandora Mode other than in actual combat with a Nova.

Despite its advantages, the downside of Pandora Mode is that Pandoras can only maintain it for three minutes and once the time limit is over, the Pandora will return to her normal but in a severely weakened state, which leaves her vulnerable to attacks.

**High-****E****nd Skills:** Advanced battle techniques used by Pandoras, and taught to 3rd years at Genetics.

**Accel Turn:** One of the two High-End Skills which increases a Pandora's speed, allowing for quick evasive maneuvers and high-speed attacks. Variations include Double Accel (with and without intervals), Triple Accel, and Quadruple Accel, which are used by higher-ranking Pandoras.  
Some weaknesses for the Accel Turn is that the Pandora is left open for counterattack if she is not quick enough and the lag time between turns; if a Pandora's lag time between turns is too long, she can easily be stopped by a Pandora of greater skill. The Valkyries possess their own lagless version of Accel Turn called "Tachyon Accel".

**Tempest Turn:** A High-End Skill which allows a Pandora to create four copies of herself and attack simultaneously from all angles.

**Illusion Turn:** A High-End Skill which increases a Pandora's speed further than Accel Turn, giving the impression that she instantly teleports from one point to another.

**Wings of Light: **A rare power displayed by very few Pandora that enhances the Pandora's abilities. By unlocking the "Holy Gates" in their Stigmata, they draw out more of their potential and it increases their healing rate.

**Nova Form:** Nova Forms are Pandora/Nova human hybrids as a result of a Pandora's Stigmata going berserk, infecting and turning its host into one, or if a Pandora is assimilated by a Nova and infected with a Nova Stigmata. Nova Forms are dangerous foes due to the fact the Pandoras have no control over their bodies and are acting on their Nova instincts. Not only do they possess both skills of Pandoras and Novas (Nova-like armor, the ability to perform Freezing, and using High-End Skills), but also new skills like turning their arms into weapons and the ability to fire a high-powered energy beam. Nova Forms are the reason why there is a limit on how many Stigmatas can be implanted into a Pandora to reduce the risk of going berserk.

Their existences was a highly-kept secret at Genetics until the 10th Nova Clash when the Nova assimilated a group of Pandoras and infected them with their own Stigmatas. While Nova Forms that were infected by the Nova can be returned to normal by destroying their Nova Stigmatas, those who turn into Nova Form as a result of their Stigmata going berserk are not so lucky, as they can never revert to their original form.

**Nova Clash:** The fights between humanity and the Nova.

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**Genetics and Chevalier:**

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**Genetics: **Special schools that train Pandoras and Limiters to combat the Nova. There are multiple Genetics branches all over the world, including two in Japan.

**Chevalier: **Elite Pandoras and Limiters who serve under the military. A Pandora with exceptional skills can join the Chevalier after graduating from Genetics. Their headquarters are located at the Grand Canyon.

**Carnival: **A monitored all-out battle royale event to determine Pandora ranking. Any battles conducted outside the Carnival does not count towards a Pandora's rank.

**E-Pandora Project: **A project developed to create a new generation of Pandoras without the need to be genetically compatible to have a Stigmata implanted. It was later succeeded by Project Valkyrie.

**Project Valkyrie:** A project that serves the same purpose as the E-Pandora Project, which was to create a new generation of Pandoras without the need to be genetically compatible to have a Stigmata implanted. Uses artificial versions of Stigmata called "Injection Stigma" (also known as the I.S. System) to produce Volt Weapons safely.

(Information primary taken from various wikis)


	2. Start Manifestation

**Start Manifestation**

Resonating within their souls, the Dummy Novas' calls pierced their skulls and stabbed at their minds like a thousand tiny needles simultaneously. The calls were unbearable, as left and right, Pandoras – their synch ratios at maximum – were clutching their heads in agony; some knelt over, vomiting, others were screaming until their voices died in their throats, and even a few were losing their grip on the world – bleeding out of their eyes and coughing up blood as the intensity ruptured their ear drums and tightened their chests. This was the twelfth Nova Clash, and it was only beginning.

Platoon Thirteen, consisting of the some of the world's top Pandora and Valkyries, was one of the first groups to notice the black mist that now spread its presence over the battlefield. Led by Roxanne Elipton, the current top Pandora in the world after the untimely death of Chiffon Fairchild and nicknamed "The Immortal", who quickly recognized the sensation that was felt by every Pandora present. It was just like back in Alaska, during the eleventh Nova clash; the Nova were undermining their resolve and burrowing into their souls through their stigmata. As the black mist thickened around them, she knew what her main focus was to: the safety of her team.

"Gahh!" a petite Pandora winced through her teeth, clawing at her headphones trying to bear the pain. "My _head..._"

"Charles, stay focused!" Roxanne yelled over the tormented screams of those around her, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder. As soon as Charles felt the warmth of Roxanne's hand she turned sharply, the cold sweat she was experiencing melting away. Her face was one of contorted anger.

"Just what the hell is going on, Zombie?!"

Roxanne didn't have a clear answer as she looked into the brown eyes of her friend, watching the now thick black mist surrounding them start to form into, what looked to be, human shadows. That was when she heard a growl in a mix of surprise and fury coming from her left. It was Rana Linchen, another member of Platoon Thirteen.

"Why... you..." Rana said through clenched teeth, as she watched one of the shadows approach her. "Why are you here _~de arimasuka!_" she screamed, as the shadow manifested its shape into someone from her past; someone long dead. The shadow slammed into her a split second later, smashing Rana's face in with a powerful kick, that snapped her head back and lifted her off her feet. She went sailing past "The Untouchable Queen" and slammed into the ground, sliding across it before coming to a stop inches away.

"_Rana!_" Satellizer called out as she spun to the Tibetan Pandora sprawled out on the dirt compact ground. Seconds later, she let out a wince of pain as she felt a jolt all along her back; her stigmata resonating. _My stigmata are reacting to something! Why now?! _Clutching her shoulder, she gripped the handle of her Volt Weapon, _Nova Blood_, tighter, as she tried to bear it.

Rana coughed as she got back up, a rage washing over her features as she wiped the blood from her mouth. "_This can't be ~de arimasu..._" she spat through still clenched teeth, staring intensely at the imposing figure now standing before her, "my older sister is..." Cold dark purple eyes looked down, her older sister smirking as Rana stood. "Then...why..." she billowed with rage, seething, "why is she _here,_ standing in _front_ of me _~de arimasuka!?_" Her eyes filled with a mist as she fought back burning hot tears that suddenly welled at the corners of her eyes, as her older sister wickedly grinned. Lifting her fists, steel plated gloves glowing an eery pale yellow light, her older sister widened her stance; an offensive form she had mastered in life, and had passed on to her younger sister in death. Her steel plated boots sank into ground beneath, as she firmly positioned herself, causing cracks to form as the ground split from the concentrated amount of pressure.

Materializing her Volt Weapon, _Shinen_, Rana assumed a defensive stance, her own steel plated gloves glowing a resounding light blue as she positioned her steel plated boots closer together. The ground cracked under her form as well; power ebbing from the six stigmata on her back: her own _Tears of Kunlun_, different from her sister's. Cracking her neck, Rana grinned as she pounded her fists together. "This time..." she said, trembling with rage, "things will be different _~de arimasu!_" She yelled as her sister sprang forward, the ground where she had leapt from moments before now a small, shallow, and wide, crater of cracked and broken up compacted dirt.

Rana braced herself for the coming storm...

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Author's Note: Based on the 12th Nova Clash Arc, Freezing Chapters 117- ? (ongoing)


	3. Opening Struggle

**Opening Struggle**

"A sister..." A tall tan skinned young woman said, looking out the open window next to her mother's bedside. Her back was turned, as she gazed out the window at her tribal village below. It was the middle of the day, and the sun was shining through the Himalayan Mountains, bathing the stone houses of the village in golden orange light. She watched the villagers go about their daily lives, her arms crossed as she leaned into the window frame. She hadn't been to the village since she started attending Genetics India. The village hasn't changed at all since she left it three years ago.

"Yes, a sister." her mother repeated, holding a small bundle of life in her arms as she smiled warmly down at its small face.

"What is her name?" the young woman asked, her long dark purple hair swaying as she looked over her shoulder, her equally dark purple eyes filled with a cold curiousity as they rested on the infant wrapped in a simple brown cloth.

"Rana," her mother answered, taking her eyes off the infant to smile at her eldest daughter. "Would you like to touch her?" she asked, presenting the infant, Rana, for her to hold.

The young woman took a step on the wooden floor, then bent down slightly to take the infant from her mother's arms; her sister. Holding the infant in her arms, the young woman stared into its small wrinkled face, feeling something familiar within her. Something resonating inside of her sister's soul, much like what she had within hers. "Tears of Kunlun," she whispered, not at all surprised, then to her mother: "She's beautiful. I'm proud to have such a sister." she remarked, touching the infant's cheek.

Her mother continued to smile at the scene before her, "I'm glad." she said, as her eldest daughter gave the infant back. Holding the infant once again, her mother also caressed the infant's cheek, before looking back up at her eldest daughter. "How are your studies going?" she asked, as her eldest daughter went back to gazing out the window.

"Quite well," the young woman replied, digging into her arm with her fingers, as she watched some village children playing around in the mud. "Though, it is difficult."

"Don't push yourself too hard." her mother said, aware that the program her eldest daughter was a part of was full of grueling daily training. "You'll always be welcome here, no matter what happens."

"Mother..." the young woman said, turning around again to face her mother, a tear in her eye. "I will take care of my sister. I promise you."

Her mother smiled warmly, "I have faith in you, Ruya, and I know you'll take good care of your sister," she said, looking back down at the infant. "Rana, I have faith in you too." She looked back up at her eldest daughter with tears in her eyes. "I love you both so very much."

"_Double Acceleration!_" Rana shouted, gaining the temporary boost in speed she needed to move around her older sister. Her sister's fist impacted with the ground where Rana had been standing mere milliseconds before, with enough force to crush a stone wall into dust. Coming up on her sister's flank as she was slowing rising back up, Rana lashed out with a powerful punch of her own, aiming to catch her sister on the side. Just before she made contact with her sister's sheepskin coat, it disappeared. Glancing quickly at every angle she could think of, Rana held her defensive stance. _Where is she?!_ She clenched her teeth in anger, glancing over she shoulder, spotting Kazuya and Satellizer a few meters away.

"Rana! What's going on?!" Kazuya called out to her, as he looked at Satellizer - who was clutching the right side of her face – concerned. Rana started to shout back, just as a shadow cast itself above her head. "_Rana!_" Kazuya shouted as he saw Rana get slammed into the ground face first, not able to see the shadow of her older sister.

Rana gasped from the intense pain that shot up her spinal column as she felt a fist crash into the square of her back. She looked back quickly, seeing the wicked smile on her older sister's face, as she fell to her knees. Without given a chance to catch her breath, a hand grabbed the back of her head and bent it back. Staring down at her with cold dark purple eyes, her sister mouthed something, just before slamming her sister's face into the ground; which cracked and split from the force she exerted. Pain shot through Rana's forehead as her face hit the compacted dirt, a split second later her mind registering what her sister had silently told her.

"_Greetings, dear sister,_" Ruya said, crouching down to get eye level with two year old Rana; smiling. "How are you this morning?"

"G-!" Rana exclaimed in response, still trying to pronounce the word "good". She clapped her hands together, as the monks in the temple glanced over at her, still not used to a child living within the temple.

Ruya nodded at them, going back to her sister. "Keep your voice low, Rana," she said softly, putting a finger to her lips to indicate quiet.

Rana copied her sister's action, nodding her head rapidly in understanding. "Quiet," she whispered.

"Good, Rana," her sister praised, ruffling her sister's purple hair. "Keep quiet for now."

Rana nodded, looking into the eyes of her older sister. "Ok," she whispered, watching as her sister stood to her full height.

"I will be right back, so stay here, ok?" Ruya told her sister, blinking once as her sister nodded her head again. She turned on her heel, to the young woman, the same age as herself, waiting by the entrance to the temple.

The woman was wearing the uniform of the Chevalier, her sharp green eyes observing the former Tibetan Pandora as she approached. She grinned, hands on her hips. "Is that your little sister?" she asked, looking over Ruya's shoulder at the little girl looking up at them.

"Yes, she is." Ruya answered, standing face to face with her best friend. Her face took on a serious expression, as the mood quickly changed.

Her best friend smiled. "Have you considered it?" she asked, equally as serious, just not bothering to show it. She waited a beat for a response. When there was none, she sighed; she knew her friend too well. "You'll still be able to see her," she reassured her best friend, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Promise." Again, she waited for a response, but nothing left her best friend's lips to answer. "We could really use someone of your talent, Ruya," she continued, staring into the eyes of her best friend. She tightened the grip she had on her best friend's shoulder. "I'm not leaving until you give me an answer."

Ruya waited a beat more, before responding: "Really?" She asked, glancing back at her sister to make sure she wasn't annoying the monks. Seeing that she was just counting the pillars placed around the temple, she turned back to her best friend.

"Yes."

"Then, I will take you up on your offer," she answered, looking into the green eyes of her best friend. "I will join the Chevalier."

Her best friend loosened her grip, smiling, and then launched a sneak attack: putting her arm around her best friend and getting in her face. "That's the Linchen I know!" she laughed, rubbing her best friend's head with her knuckles; a noogie. "You'll love the Chevalier!"

Ruya tapped her friend's arm, telling her to let go, as the burning sensation was getting worse the harder she rubbed. "I get it! I get it!" she laughed, punching her best friend in the arm. She glanced back at her sister, her serious expression replaced with a look of worry.

"Don't worry about your little sister!" her best friend reassured, slapping her on the back. "You'll still be able to visit her every now and then!" She turned towards the entrance, "Now, let's getting going! The higher ups will want to meet you right away!" she exclaimed, smiling at her best friend as she looked back.

"Every now and then..." Ruya repeated under her breath, taking one last glimpse of her sister still counting the pillars, as she followed her best friend out of the temple. Out of her retirement as a Pandora and into her new position within the Chevalier.

Rana pushed up on the ground with her hands, slowly struggling to rise as her older sister held her down by a steel plated boot. She gritted her teeth, her vision wavering from the pain that she still felt in her back and forehead. Watching a drop of blood fall from her nose onto the ground, she inhaled sharply, "_I..._" Another drop of blood fell. "_W__on't give up._"

Kazuya watched as Rana was trying to get up, struggling as if some invisible force was preventing her from doing so. He heard gasps next to him, and he quickly spun to Satellizer. "Satella! What's wrong?!"

_It hurts, what... is... this!? _Satellizer grunted through clenched teeth, clutching the right side of her face harder as the pain intensified. Just then, she heard a voice in front of her.

_I'm sorry... I won't let you..._

She looked up for the source; angry. "Who -?" her question stopped in her throat, her eyes widening with shock and realization at the person who stood before her; contemplating her with cold yellowish olive green eyes. The figure's black haired reached down to her back, the sides tied together at the back by a thin white ribbon in bow form. The figure's light blue and white suit greatly resembled her own, and Satellizer shook from the intense look in the figure's eyes.

K...Kazuha..." she stammered, lifting up her hand, as if she were going to reach out to touch the figure standing before her, "_A...__Aoi...?_"

Kazuya's eyes went wide at the mention of his sister's name, as he watched Satellizer reach out hesitantly to nothing. _What the hell is going on?!_

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Author's Note: No, Ruya is not Rana Linchen's older sister's real name: just one that I gave her. I based it on a number of factors.


	4. Burning Memories

**Burning Memories**

"All the world's Great Journeys begin with the first step, dear sister." Ruya Linchen told her four year old sister, as she gazed at the mountains off in the distance. "You must take that first step. It may take some effort, it may even be painful," she waved her hand along the string of mountains, as if to reach out and touch them, "but after, many paths will be open to you." She listened to the wind, as it blew cool air towards them. "And then," she turned to her younger sister, looking into her eyes with warmth, "you chose the road you most want to follow."

"I won't lose to you!" Rana shouted, filled with rage, as she sprang up from the ground. Roaring, she increased the power output of her stigmata; experiencing intense pain as her stigmata resonated in response, answering her. "I will surpass you _~de arimasuka!_" she screamed, as she clutched her wrist, and watched her Volt Weapon start to grow down her arm, encasing her in steel plated armor: _Pandora mode._

Her older sister smirked, appearing in front of her; Volt Weapon ready and waiting. She narrowed her stance, going into a form similar to Rana's from earlier. Rana heard her voice inside her own head, calling out to her.

_Dear sister, how you've grown. _The voice, her older sister's, mocked, as she channeled energy through her whole body, which showed in the pale yellow light that ebbed from her figure, the ground sinking beneath her feet; again from the immense pressure. _Yet, have you actually grown at all? _She yelled, as Rana's form became fully encased in black armor, which steamed from the pure energy that was being shed to maintain it. Her younger sister widened her stance as she stood still, arms spread out at her sides. Her hands radiated a burning blue light as her Volt Weapon was being fed a constant stream of energy.

"Here I come, older sister _~de arimasu__!_" Rana shouted, lifting off her leg in one powerful surge of energy, the ground cratering, splitting apart, where her boot had been a few seconds before. She leapt forward, arm reared back to deliver a bone shattering punch, as her older sister just hundered down, ready to take her younger sister's full blow, smiling wickedly.

_I watched over him since he was a child..._ Kazuha's voice rang out in Satellizer's head, as she slowly lowered her hand; trembling. _And now that I'm gone..._ Kazuha's eyes were so cold that they froze the look of dread on Satellizer's face, as the British Pandora took a step back; afraid. _You're trying to steal my place?!_ Kazuha's voice screamed in anger, materializing her Volt Weapon, _Nova Blood_, as her face contorted in a mask of rage and fury. _You... _She lifted her Volt Weapon above her head and brought it down in one fluid motion – right at Satellizer. _Damn filthy little thief!_ The blade connected with Satellizer's chest, as she screamed in surprise, and was knocked off her feet and thrown back.

"Satella!" Kazuya shouted as Satellizer flew past him and landed hard on the dirt compacted ground. The other members of Platoon Thirteen watched in disbelief as her lower back slammed into the ground, pain shooting through her tail bone and up her spine.

_What?! That's..._ Roxanne saw the black mist, the shadow, throw Satellizer L. Bridget with ease and stood frozen in place, trying to make sense of the situation as she watched Kazuya rush to Satellizer's side. _That's just black smoke! How the hell is it able to attack?!_

"Satella! Are you ok?!" Kazuya asked, as Satellizer grunted and sat up. Rage melted the frozen look of dread on her face as she ignored his question, getting up and wincing slightly from the pain, which was already starting to go away.

_Disappear..._ Kazuha Aoi said, her voice reverberating loudly in Satellizer's skull. _No matter how hard you try..._ She smiled wickedly, holding up her Volt Weapon. _You'll never be able to replace me in his heart._ Pointing her Volt Weapon deadly close to Satellizer's forehead, enough to shred thin strands of her blonde hair, she laughed manaically. _Never._

That was the last straw, Satellizer couldn't take it anymore: roaring with rage, she materialized her Volt Weapon and charged forward. She leapt into the air, using a unique variant of the High-End Skills that Kazuha Aoi herself developed: _an Accel-Tempest Turn_. Making two after images, she attacked from the front as her after images came from behind. The members of Platoon Thirteen watched in surprise at this battle technique, then exclaimed in disbelief as the real Satellizer appeared behind the shadow, Kazuha, her Volt Weapon pulsing blue light that seemed to electrically charge the air around it: her and the after images had switched places.

"I..." Satellizer said in her fury, lifting her Volt Weapon for an overhead blow, "_I...!_"

Kazuha anticipated the move, spinning sharply around with her Volt Weapon poised in both hands.

"_I'M NOT YOUR REPLACEMENT!_" Satellizer roared at the top of her lungs, as she brought her Volt Weapon down on her opponent. A second later her Volt Weapon shattered into pieces as blood shot out from her now dismembered arm, as Kazuha had drove her own Volt Weapon into her target. Satellizer gasped in surprise as her mind registered her missing limb, the arm flying off behind her and skidding on the ground along with the shatter remains of her Volt Weapon, which disppeared in shards of the Volt Texture that had materialized it.

The members of Platoon Thirteen gawked and watched in horror, their eyes wide, as Satellizer was thrown back a second time, slamming into the ground with blood splattered clothes; the joint where her arm had been spurting warm arterial fluid that further bloodied her and soaked into the ground, as if the ground were gouging it down into its soil. Satellizer gagged, blood flying out of her mouth as she coughed it up, spraying all over her cheeks and chest, trickling down her mouth, onto her neck, and into her hair.

Around the battlefield, the torment screams and pleas of Pandora created a chorus of battle as they continued to bleed and vomit, some materializing their Volt Weapons and slashing at the shadows that brought the darkest parts of their souls to the surface.

Ticy Phenyl, the current Student Council President and top ranked Pandora at West Genetics, gritted her teeth from the pain screaming in her head, as she listened to the cries of the Pandora and their bewildered Limiters. _Everyone..._ She held the left side of her face, pulling at her shoulder length black hair that she had cut to pay homage to her deceased best friend, grasping the situation through the needles of pain piercing her skull. _Is having hallucinations... They all see things no one else can see._

"I'll kill you!"

_Things they hate._

"Stay away!"

_Things they fear._

"You'll never defeat me! Never!"

_Their worst experiences materialize in front of them._

"Why are you here?!"

_Their worst __regrets__._

She grinded her teeth together, her greenish grey eyes filling with rage and disbelief. "But then _why..._" she growled, grinding her teeth harder, "why are _you_ the one who appeared to me..." She said, as she looked into the squintingly happy eyes of her best friend. "Why it had to be _you_!" she yelled, her free hand burning from how tight she balled it into a fist, "_Chiffon!_"

"The Unmatched Smiling Monster" smiled at her best friend, a large clawed blade guantlet, her Volt Weapon, _Anti Nova_, materializing on her right arm as she stepped forward from the hazy background of the death and destruction sprawled out behind her...

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Author's Note: At this point in the official story, Rana isn't able to use Pandora Mode - as far as what was shown - unlike in this fanfic.


End file.
